


These Shadows

by Fishycoffee



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Discord: Elsanna Shenanigans (Disney), Drama, Elsanna Monthly Contest, F/F, Horror, One Shot, Prompt Fic, but its mild, more spooky if anything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27978165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishycoffee/pseuds/Fishycoffee
Summary: An evening walk in the woods takes a turn. (Written for Elsanna Shenanigans October 2020 monthly prompt)
Relationships: Anna/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 16
Collections: Elsanna Shenanigans Monthly Contests Submissions





	These Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for the Elsanna Shenanigans October 2020 Contest with the prompt being ‘Heartbeat’
> 
> Special shoutout to reminaissance and T, thanks for fixing my grammar and such, and for being no strangers to chaos.

* * *

The woods were quiet and empty. The fading sunlight peeked through the now empty branches. Newly fallen leaves crunched under their feet as they walked. It was getting late and Anna was beginning to feel a bit lost. Elsa pushed onward however and she seemed confident of their direction, so Anna tried to relax.

Something moved between the trees just to her right. Anna turned to look but saw nothing except for more trees. It was probably just the fading light playing tricks on her. She turned back towards Elsa and saw her sister far ahead. How long had Anna been distracted? She ran to catch up and grabbed Elsa’s hand. The older girl smiled at her.

“Don’t be scared Anna,” she said, giving her hand a light squeeze, “and please try to keep up,”

“I’m not scared, I just thought I saw something,” Anna replied, letting go of Elsa’s hand and joining their arms together. “Also, it’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you.”

Elsa smiled and kept walking.

Something moved to Anna’s left, beyond her sister. “Did you see that?”

“See what? There’s nothing there.”

A branch snapping caught Anna’s attention behind them. She stopped suddenly and turned.

“You worry far too much.” Elsa lightly touched her cheek and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “Everything is alright.”

Anna nodded. “I know, it’s just that I keep seeing things.” She let go of her sister’s arm, feeling self-conscious.

“It's just the light playing tricks on you. I promise you, everything is okay.” Elsa started walking again. Anna followed.

Another movement in the trees caught her attention. She tried to ignore it, focused on following Elsa’s footsteps.

A twig snapped.

Another movement, then another.

Anna tried to shut it out, telling herself it's just the light; probably a harmless forest animal. A shadow passed between the closest trees to her right, so close she could almost touch it.

Anna stopped and looked. Again, there was nothing. “Elsa, I think we should go back, I feel weird,” she said to her sister. Only Elsa wasn’t there to reply.

No one was there.

“Elsa?” Anna spun around and saw nothing but trees. There was no sign of her sister, no blonde hair shining in the distance. There was nothing and absolutely no one. “Elsa!”

Panic started to set in; she was horrible with directions. She had no idea how to find Elsa or get back to the castle. This was just supposed to be an evening walk in the woods, where they could spend some time together without prying eyes. “ELSA!!!”

“What’s wrong, Anna?” came Elsa’s voice from behind her.

Anna spun around and there she was, seemingly out of nowhere. “I thought you left me!”

“I would never leave you. Now come on, we’re not there yet.” Her sister started walking again and she followed.

It seemed like more shadows were moving amongst the trees now, slipping behind trunks and blending in with naked branches. Anna hated them; this setting sun was cruel with the way it was messing with her.

Not paying attention, Anna tripped over a fallen log and fell into a pile of leaves. She stood quickly and brushed off her cloak. “Please don’t tell anyone about this, I know you’re laughing.”

Except, no one was laughing because no one was there, again.

“Elsa?”

A shadow passed in front of her. The air felt cooler. “Elsa, if you’re playing a trick on me, I swear…”

Another shadow brushed by, then another, and another. “This isn’t funny Elsa, come on!”

A new shadow appeared out of thin air right in front of her, taking a vaguely human form. This wasn’t a trick of the light, this was something that felt terribly wrong.

“Elsa, please!”

The figure started moving towards her. Anna stepped back and raised her hands to protect her face. “Elsa, where are you?!”

The figure charged at her and Anna screamed, frozen to the spot. Terrified. It passed right through her, leaving her feeling cold but otherwise unharmed. She patted at her chest. Her heart was beating fast but she was still here, unhurt.

“What’s wrong, Anna?” Elsa suddenly asked.

Anna looked up and her sister was standing there as if she had been the whole time. “Where did you go? Did you just see that- that...? Where have you _been_?” she demanded.

“I would never leave you. Now come on, we’re almost there,” Elsa said and started walking again. And again, Anna followed.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“It's what you need to hear.”

“What's going on? Why are you acting weird?” Anna reached for her hand but missed. She tried again and her hand passed through Elsa’s. She felt panic beginning to set in as she reached for Elsa’s shoulder. Her hand passed through just the same.

“I want you to know that I love you and I want you to remember that,” Elsa said, or rather, the shadow that looked like Elsa as she came to a stop.

“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Anna replied, “why can’t I touch you?”

“Please remember that I love you.” Elsa gestured to her left. “Remember that whatever you see, I will never leave you.” She pointed then and turned her head to emphasize the action.

Anna was confused but looked to where her sister was pointing. What she saw caused bile to surge up in her throat. There, on the forest floor, was Elsa’s body, frozen solid, her eyes open and empty. Anna looked from the body back to her sister’s shadow.

“What’s wrong, Anna?”

“You… you’re... dead? But you’re _here_? I don’t understand, when did this happen?”

“A long time ago, Anna, but you haven’t let go. You need to let go.”

“What? No, please, I don’t… please- Elsa don’t do this.” Anna looked back at the body and saw now nothing more than a skeleton, partly covered by the newly fallen leaves.

“I love you, Anna,”

Anna turned back and Elsa was gone. It was cold, the sun had fully set and the woods were dark. It was then that she realized she was completely and utterly alone.

She slumped to the ground. Her head was pounding as though her brain was trying to break through her skull by force. The ground felt like it was starting to spin. Anna looked up. It wasn’t just the ground, the trees around her were also spinning. They went on spinning, faster and faster, while the clearing quickly grew smaller. Anna didn’t know what to do; she had nowhere to run. Panic fully set in. She looked around, trying to see beyond the spinning trees.

“Anna… Anna…. ANNA!”

With a jolt she sat up in bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her hair clung messily to her face as she hyperventilated. It wasn’t morning yet; the moon was low in the sky and the fireplace housed nothing but glowing embers.

 _It was just a dream, nothing more,_ she told herself. _Everything is fine, it was just a dream._

She told herself this as she looked over to where her sister shared the bed with her and reached out her hand…

**Author's Note:**

>   
> Hey thanks for reading, please take a moment to leave a kudos or comment.
> 
> If you enjoyed this story and want to meet fellow readers/writers/artists and discuss all things Elsanna, join the Elsanna Shenanigans community on Discord at discord.gg/9jWGSQjpEr


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